It’s Sunday night, and it’s Halloween,
Zombies and monsters are DYING to be seen
But wait, Thermal and a Quarter’s here!
And no, they’re not green.

They jammed, they sang
They had fun, and we did too
Thermal and a Quarter,
We love you!

The post Gig review: Arian Hellsing on the Kolkata gig appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

Thermal And A Quarter were in town last night at Firangi Paani. And they were so awesome that this is the first blog post I’ll be doing for a band, considering the fact that I’ve been for shows like Iron Maiden, Porcupine Tree, Joshua Redman and various other shows. The reason for this is these guys have the potential, the skill… Putting it in other words this band begs to differ using their unique set of skills (IT’S TIME FOR US INDIANS TO SHINE ) It’s not the same old usual stuff/covers what everyone out there is replaying.

Secondly, the whole world is following existing musicians; very few like TAAQ are differentiating with a very thin line which is really, REALLY awesome.

Thirdly, India has to start creating its mark on the world by fabricating something diverse/different. For example, at last night’s show there was this song (Look At Me) where Bruce improvised vocals with “balle balle” and other songs like Jupiter Cafe where he uses ragas — which is awesome (trust me on this one).

Every song performed by them was gripping the crowd. I was standing right in the front of the stage all-show-long. LOL!

They played unexpected stuff like Hey Jude (The Beatles), a jazzy cover which was a simple jaw dropper.

Right after a few songs I happened to ask someone if Bruce takes classes anywhere, and I was surprised to hear that there is a TAAQademy, I was expecting a sarcastic answer like: YEAH RITE!!

BUT HE TAKES CLASSES!! Unfortunately, they have them only in Bangalore.

Overall a very lively band to be catch! I can today say that even if you haven’t heard even a single song of TAAQ you still should catch them live and you would love it!

- A SATISFIED CUSTOMER.

The post "It's time for us Indians to shine!" says Raghavendra Singhania appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

Once upon a time, in a concert far far away, a desperate voice cut its way through the crowd… craving, needing and demanding Metallica or some music like that with the gain turned way up. And then the 3-piece band on stage, looking cool behind their shades, beards and hats and shiny guitars connected to seriously sweet amps played such mind-numbingly awesome music that people just shut up and listened. Who knows, maybe they even went back, voted and started to work to rid their country of corruption. But then again, that place was Pondicherry and it’s likely that everyone just got very happily drunk and passed out at the beach.
Now, ever since I heard the extended intro in Jupiter Cafe, I’ve always been rather fond of their unique sound and song-writing. I happened to watch them live during the Jaago Re tour (March 2009) and I knew I just had to see them play many many more times after. So then I began the exercise of waiting for dates and venues to match schedules and convenience and if you’re from Chennai, you’ll agree that the best places in Chennai is actually, Pondicherry. No kidding. And if you’re a Chennai fanatic, one visit to Seagull could change that. It was a really nice venue for the concert – an open air restaurant right next to the beach where you could just sit back on the grass and experience a very high degree of peace.

I reached Pondicherry a bit late, missing the first ten minutes, and apparently I missed a lot of rock and roll moments… drunk people in shiny shirts trying to take over the stage and what not! But that enthusiasm-dampener notwithstanding, TAAQ slowly built their energy levels and tightness over the next couple of songs, particularly around Between the Lines. The skill and proficiency of this band clearly stands out with their songs sounding practically indistinguishable from the studio versions! It’s quite something to see Bruce hum his solos AND play them note to note! Not an easy feat, but it sounds terrific. However, VERY demoralising for anyone who has plans of playing a guitar. Unfair Bruce. Plain unfair. The ‘baby’(!) of the group, Prakash, has brought in a bit of a new sound to TAAQ, and it was great to see the band at ease with their new bassist – his extended solos flowing right back into the songs on every occasion. Just one doubt though… Can he see anything from behind his hat?

The sound though wasn’t top notch, there was some static and some jarring. I really wish that wasn’t the case as it lessened from their typically perfect patches and tones.

The crowd though didn’t take much notice of that and really got into the groove around the song Drunk, probably as it reflected their state at that moment. With the audience and TAAQ’s energy levels rising, Paper Puli was timed to perfection. In fact, Rajeev was throwing away his drum sticks in a fit of drum-rage too! You can’t deny it, that song is rather sticky. At the risk of making a very bad pun based on a common tea ad… Wah TAAQ Wah… The wah of that guitar!

Now I’m not sure about one thing, but there was this shockingly original rendition of Hey Jude! I swear you haven’t heard anything like that before and The Beatles would have been proud to see a 3-piece band from Bangalore pull that off! I hunted on their website but couldn’t find a studio version of that, but I hope that changes soon and a few more ‘original covers’ follow. And no, its not an oxymoron with TAAQ.

It’s a pity that to see the end of their shows, but the evening did come to an end amidst many shouts for an encore performance! Nonetheless, great music at a great place. Hoping to catch another show again soon. Though I often wonder… with all the other worldly skill that they possess, how would they sound in a completely acoustic setting, a fusion-ified and Carnatic-ified version or one with an all out backing orchestra and what not? Damn. Need more TAAQ!

The post Sayash Kumar reviews the Seagull, Pondy gig appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

A friend of mine once said that if you take all the Mallus (all in good spirit…: D) out of Bangalore, you’re not gonna be left with a single band in the whole city. So when you have three and a quarter (well, not anymore though) of them coming together to make music, you are bound to be transported to a whole new world of eclectic music.

Hyderabad had its tryst with the Bangalore (yes, no Bengaluru for me) Power Trio Thermal and a Quarter on September 7.

The venue… er, well let’s not talk about that. The “Only Couple Entries” sign is not very welcoming to a rock audience and I had to sorta impose the situation on my friend Priyanka (Thank you so much)… Yes, I was not going to miss this for anything in the world!

Bruce in his shades, Rajeev in his ‘Chainese’ beard and Prakash in his HUUUGE hat were finally hereee…. Beautiful bass lines, excellent control over the solos and some slick runs all along the fret board; yes the new kid on the block had announced his arrival in the TAAQwagon. The level of proficiency Prakash showed with the other two on the songs would amaze any bass player – hats off to you! (no puns intended..: P)…

Rajeev was as usual at his brilliant best with the chops and the rolls and complimenting on all the varieties of songs that the band has in their repertoire…

Bruce Lee Mani, which is he better at exactly – singing or guitaring??… Tight throughout as usual, TAAQ provided a brilliant ambience to an otherwise below average pub. Be it the bluesy new number Grab Me “a Boost in the mug with no happy encore”, a teetotaler’s delectable intrigue against the upbeat “I’m drunk… I’m stoned… I’m high… I’m done” or the groovy Mighty Strange speaking about the heavily dependent IT world or their ever-popular song, the jazzy funky Paper Puli, they were all excellently textured to satisfy us all.

“We come from Bengaluru, earlier known as Bangalore. You guys come from Andhra Pradesh and you don’t know what it’s gonna be called very soon… This is something you should have done a year back”…oh yes, it was time to Shut Up and Vote. The latter part saw Where The State Has No Name, a grim reminder of the political hullabaloo in the state. Oh, and of course, we were also entertained to the ‘Thermalised’ versions of Hey Jude, Wonderwall and Hoedown.

Wonderwall came out all jazzy, fresh and new-born, bearing little or no resemblance to the original Oasis version. Hey Jude was AWE-TAAQ-SOME. Bruce’s guitar patch had a lovely orchestra-chorus vibe to it that left you wondering “How the hell did three guys just manage that shit !” – something that has been provoked very often by the works of Rush, Cream, The Police, ELP et al. The crowd happily sang along to the surging reeves of the coda as Bruce broke out on Vocal Mumbo-Jumbo… …

“You think Paul would’ve liked that??”…Ya right, ‘like’… what an understatement!! And along came the most awaited song of the evening… people following them on Youtube and Bookface (.. ) greeted it quite enthusiastically… Kickbackistan speaking all about the travailed ‘common wealth’ flowing into political pockets. The song truly had all the flavours of a musical hit and people were seen leaving the pub humming along to “Let the Games begin. Let the shame begin.”

Well, our thirst was quenched by the Thermal range of the music… for here before us stood a band which has championed the cause of original music when the whole country was still reeling under the shades and tunes of repetitive covers and also went ahead to make a mark supporting various social causes and to put the icing on the cake, came up with the stunning world class TAAQADEMY.

So next time when these True Messiahs of Indian Rock decide to drop in your city be sure to fix an appointment and taste the sparkling shot of TAAQuila!!

P.S. Word around the pub was that the number of Bruce Lee jokes had exceeded those of Rajnikanth and Chuck Norris…Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a new hero!!!

Photo: Anish Banerjee. View his gig album here

The post Anish Banerjee reviews the Hyderabad gig appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

Being in college, going out to Hard Rock Cafe is something that one has weigh the pros and cons of very carefully. But when TAAQ is playing at Hard Rock, it’s a no-brainer. You know that you’re going to get your money’s worth. In fact I think it’s a steal!

Thermal And A Quarter, in my opinion, is one of the most professional bands I’ve ever seen live! Thursday night was no different. Now I’ve been to a lot of TAAQ gigs, but every show is just awesome.

You have to give it up to the band for being so stubborn about playing only original music for so long. Even their covers are ‘Thermalised’. Only TAAQ can get away with changing songs like ‘Hey Jude’ and still getting the crowd to appreciate it. Bruce asked, “You think Paul would’ve liked that?”

I’m sure Paul would reply, “It’s bloody brilliant mate!”

Now to the originals, what can one say, every single one is just a trip. TAAQ always likes to change things up. To get in Mr. Ravichandra Kulur on the flute was stroke of genius! The flute fell seamlessly into the tweaked version of ‘One Small Love’ and played its part in that sweet song. It was also nice to hear Bruce’s guitar fills for ‘Paper Puli’ on the flute. Rajeev’s drum patterns on ‘Surrender’ almost make you want to dance. I miss Rzhude a lot, but Prakash seems to be right at home with the band and puts in some really groovy bass lines. He puts in some interesting solos as well. Great to see the overall vibe of the band still being the same . But missed Jason on the keys and the backup vocals. And Bruce, is he a guitarist who sings, or a vocalist who plays guitar? One of life’s great mysteries. His guitar tone is superlative through all their songs, whether it be ‘Simply Be’, ‘Respectable’ or ‘Drunk’. He has the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand, with his signature witty response to random drunk comment or gesturing to the crowd to sing softly, as though turning the volume down on a radio! The two new originals were great (one was ‘Clean Up’ I think). Thanks to the band for releasing ‘Grab Me’. Perfect for bluesy nights. But please, for god’s sake come out with a new album fast! ‘Ordinary Affair’ and ‘Chameleon’ (just to name a few) are just addictive!

My favourites for the night were ‘Hey Jude’, ‘Grab Me’ and ‘Chameleon’. But I like all the songs because it’s so nice to see a band absolutely love what they are doing!

Another trademark is the smile on the face of each one of them on stage. Great job guys!

See ya at the next gig.

The post Vineet Jose reviews the Hard Rock Cafe Bangalore gig appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

Photo: Santhosh Lobo

It was an evening that can never be forgotten. I was passing by the auditorium at St. Aloysius after my recording at Radio Sarang when I incidentally heard some music emanating from the auditorium. Intrigued, I went to have a closer look, and I was surprised to see three people practicing and performing sound checks. On further inquiry, I came to know that TAAQ was performing at the auditorium that night. Ooh… This was something I couldn’t afford to miss!

The concert started off with a small crowd, most probably due to the lack of proper publicity, but the music was astounding nonetheless. This was the first time TAAQ was performing in Mangalore, and quite a few people were curious as to know how a trio can handle an entire concert. But this trio more than just handled the concert; they rocked it!

Surprisingly, the crowd consisted of not just youngsters, but many elderly people were seen enjoying the music as well. The crowd was all in cheers for the concert! Personally, I was mesmerized by the music and was in a sort of trance, and I’m not overhyping things. This was the ground reality, which I’m sure that the entire audience would agree with me. Also the TAAQ team maintained a good rapport with the audience, thereby involving them further in the music.

Listing out the Pros and Cons:

PROS:
• TAAQ Team succeeded in getting the crowd involved.
• Mangalore got to hear awesome compositions by TAAQ.
• Excellent Sound and Lighting systems.

CONS:
• Being a weekday was maybe one of the causes for low turnout at the concert.
• Lack of publicity of the programme in Mangalore, because many of my friends said they were interested, but had no idea that the concert was going on.
• Maybe I’m being a bit greedy on this one, but I felt that the concert should have gone on for a longer duration

Like I said, 6th July 2010 was an evening I’ll never forget. And I’m eagerly waiting for the day TAAQ comes back to Mangalore with another mesmerizing show! Cheers!

The post Sudeep Shenoy reviews the Mangalore gig appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

It’s hard, walking in to see your favorite band play with a changed lineup. Tons of questions await answering in your head. Most importantly – Will I relate to them as I did before? You quieten these voices, and a little while before the band plays, you have prepared yourself to watch them devour a small furry animal, live, and still not judge.

I walked into the Alliance Auditorium at 7:30. I noticed the new guy, Prakash. My eyes strained, I size him up. The aforementioned animal calls for pity in my head. First song on, comes bass solo #1, some slick runs/slapping, and in no time, Bruce’s shouts of “Give him what he wants, give him whatever he wants“, finds a willing choir on this side of the audience.

Bruce’s “No!” to passionate cries for Paper Puli means I will listen to a new setlist today. Not bad, really. Mighty Strange, ever-so-groovy, about IT and such-like phenomena drifts by. Then, a bluesy Where the state has no name about the frivolity of name-calling. Next, my favorite song of the evening — Ordinary Affair. A beautiful progression, meandering only so much, with that sweet riff to start it all over again. Ah! Whatte beauty! Classic TAAQ songwriting as well, this one credited to Rajeev:

“Some folks never get hitched
Some get a few along the way”

So simple, no? Like “This is it, our time is up” OR “Shut up and vote” OR just, “I’m drunk” OR like the fifty other songwriting sparkles they got — beautifully pithy.

Then, a true “what the…huh?” moment. We stood gasping at the sheer brilliance that was TAAQ’s cover of ‘Hey Jude‘. Jazz / Funk / whatever it was, just made it an absolute privilege to be in the midst of it all. And as if to convince us they were no Martians, Bruce goofing up the lyrics to flash an impish grin. Charming!

Finally, ‘Surrender‘, with its catchy – Should I should I should I should I surrender to round off a perfect evening of music and cheer.

We had surrendered. To the awesomeness.

Some things remain unchanged. Bruce still can carry off those bright red pants. His extraordinary singing/guitar playing, still makes for AMAZING. Rajeev still makes that hi-hat ring in the deepest section of your ear and surprises you with his creative intricacies. But IMHO, I can’t say they sound the same. Simply because, Rzhude and Prakash are about as different as can be! Imagine a John Entwistle replacing Flea, if you will! It will take getting used to. But that said, he is a SOLID replacement and his bass playing is skillfully cogent.

In parts, the band sounds like a splendid cover of their older self and in parts a whole new dimension. You love them anyway! And if they wanted to, they could still devour a small furry animal, live.

The post Cariappa C K reviews Sunday's Alliance gig appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

Photo: Suchin Moses

As men, we feel very flattered when a woman says nice things about us. So when the young and eloquent Ramya Sriram gushed about our gig at Hard Rock Cafe, Hyderabad, where we played last Thursday, we blushed. And then, without a thought, plagiarised this bit from her blog and cut-paste-posted it here.

Read on:

The show was brilliant. They started off with one of my favourites, Look at Me, and by the end of the song I was already filled with that feeling only Bruce’s tu ta paraburapurooo can express. The new song, Where the State has No Name is a bluesy, catchy number and has one of those choruses that comfortably settle down in your head. A total singalong song. I really liked that they wrote this one. I’ve always believed that TAAQ is an intelligent band; from their lyrics to the structure of their songs, there’s a characteristic subtle wit that underlies. They’re classic, they’re contemporary. They reach out to the audience with songs like this one, and previously, with Keep the Promise, One Small Love and Shut up and Vote.

It was the first time I heard them play their signature cover, with its long intro (oh what tones on the guitar!) delightfully breaking out into Roxanne. At this point I glanced at the bouncer, contemplating my fate if I did get hysterical. De-arranged was anything but. I love how all the parts come together in their songs. I grinned throughout the show, and everytime Bruce went hic! during Drunk I grinned a little more.

Read it all here.

We’ll post some pics once our missing-in-action roadie with the throaty heavy-metal caller tune resurfaces with them. Meanwhile, if any of you have taken photos on Thursday, be kind enough to share them so that we can see what we looked like that night.

And here’s to all of you in Hyderabad: You made it a very memorable gig for us, no matter what you name your state. You have spirit, and you have guts for braving the bundh to watch us. Thank you!

As for ‘where the state has no name’, we’re not done making a noise about that yet!

The post Crowdsourced gig review #1 – HRC, Hyderabad appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).

In this issue:

Grammy Nim Ajji*

Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh
I’ll get him hot, show him what I’ve got
Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh,
I’ll get him hot, show him what I’ve got

Is that another musical epiphany like the one that made Rajeev pen the lyrics for Sold? Nope, says TAAQ’s drummer. Those are the lyrics for Poker Face, Lady Gaga’s Grammy nomination for Song of the Year. Songwriters: Germanotta, Stefani, Khayat, Nadir.

Impressive, eh? “I think Germanotta wrote ‘oh’, Stefani wrote ‘ohhhh’, Khayat wrote ‘ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh’ and Nadir just stood there looking HAWTT!” he says.

*For the un-Bangalored: Nim Ajji, a mildly ribald term of endearment, is Kannada for ‘your granny’

Hot earth, cold feet

A magazine cover went: ‘Can we save this fragile Earth?’ Heck, it’s us who are fragile. Once we’ve all been expurgated in a cloud of greenhouse gas, good old Gaia will take a well-deserved few million years off and be ready to welcome other, maybe less ‘intelligent’ but more ‘aware’ species.

But then again, if there is one turning point in the history of mankind that screwed everything up, it’s the creation of the drum machine.

Jailhouse Crock

We learn that the shamed and now imprisoned boss of Satyam has asked for a few simple pleasures to make his incarceration worth the time. Buttermilk? Yes, said the guards. Guntur Chicken? Hmmm, ok. Gongura pickle? Ok, but only on Sundays. You can already see where this is leading, so why wouldn’t the prison authorities?
By the time he got to asking the management for what he really, really wanted (nope, not a Spice Girl), the authorities had enough. So when Raju wanted a laptop, they shook their heads. “There is a mouse in his prison cell, let him make do with that,” the warden was reported as saying (off the record, of course).

Tiger, Tiger burning out?

It is every cat’s prerogative to bring home something that disgusts the hell out of his folks. When you’re a big cat, that something has to be bigger and badder and smellier than most. But then again, not every cat has the privilege of driving (yeah, we know it’s a responsibility, not a privilege) a Cadillac Escalade. You should know, if you are Tiger Woods.

MORE?

TIMES OF NEED from Thermal And A Quarter – Vol 1 # 4 Nov-Dec 09

DOWNLOAD TIMES OF NEED-NOV-DEC 09-VOL 1 #4 [PDF]

The post TIMES OF NEED – The Grammies, Climate Change and more appeared first on Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ).